New Hope for a Deal in Yemen

By: David Ignatius
The brutal war in Yemen may be heading towards a critical point after the controversial blockade of the port of Hodeidah by an alliance led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
A UN mediator and a senior UAE diplomat have expressed hope that a negotiated deal with the Huthi rebels could ease pressure on the city. But they differed on details, and humanitarian organizations warned that the assault was stifling relief supplies to Yemen’s tortured civilian population.
Yemen is stuck in a proxy war between the Saudi-UAE alliance, which supports the Yemeni government and Iran, which supports the Huthis. The Saudis and Emiratis invaded in 2015 after the Houthis seized the capital Sana’a. But the war faltered, with heavy casualties among civilians. The Houthis expelled many Yemenis last year by killing their ally, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, after they changed their direction and supported the Saudis.
Martin Griffith, the UN special envoy to Yemen, said in a statement on Thursday that he was “confident that we can reach an agreement to avoid any escalation of violence in Hodeidah.” According to news reports, the Huthis may be ready to manage the port administration. To the United Nations, facilitating the transport of food and other supplies.
Anwar Gargash, the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, also expressed his hope for an agreement in a telephone interview Thursday evening. But he said the plan, which the Houthis seem ready to accept – for UN monitoring of the port – is not enough, and that the UAE and its allies want a full withdrawal of Huthi fighters from the city.
“We feel that if the Huthis leave Hodeidah they will be more realistic,” Gargash said. “The smart thing is to press hard on the ocean, not to enter the city, and tell the UN,” Get back and get a better deal. ”
Mediation efforts in the past have stumbled over such differences over terminology. The truce, which appeared close in Sanaa several months ago, was neglected because of Saudi and Emirati demands that the Houthis infiltrate their heavy weapons, which they refused to do. In Hodeidah, the Houthis do not have many heavy weapons, Gargash said.

The Battle of Hodeidah was one of the most important wars of three years. UAE leaders moved this month to attack the coastal city, hoping to balance the protracted conflict. Last week, the UAE-led forces seized control of the airport just outside the city center and then called on the Huthis to withdraw.
“We do not want to move beyond the airport,” Gargash said. While he did not rule out an attack on the city center, he said: “There should be no fighting in the streets or houses.
Human groups condemned the attack on Hodeidah, who said the attack would hinder relief efforts. The port is the main transit point for non-governmental organizations that bring food and other aid to the battered state of Yemen. Amnesty International warned in a new report this week that the blockade meant “control” of the city.
“We feel that taking Hodeidah will shorten the war,” Gargash said in explaining the logic behind the attack. “We have broken the deadlock” by taking the airport, he said. If the United Nations can reach an agreement to evacuate fighters from the city, he said: “It will lay the foundation for a broader political solution” in other parts of Yemen.
Similarly, Saudi officials believe their situation has become stronger in Yemen. Like officials in the UAE, they insist that if they continue to press, the Houthis will crack.
Hodeidah may produce a shaky negotiating deal. Meanwhile, the war is grinding and the suffering of civilians continues.
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